This invention relates to game calls, e.g., for use by hunters and wildlife photographers to imitate the natural voices of wildlife. The invention is more particularly concerned with a game call, such as a deer grunt, which is used with tuning clips to adjust the sound of the call to a predetermined tone or pitch.
There are many mouth operated game calls which the hunter, naturalist, nature photographer, or other user blows air through a reed device to mimic the sound of a bird or large animal. In these game calls, a reed is held on a reed holder in the instrument, and this vibrates when the hunter blows air past the reed. The tone or pitch of the game call can be adjusted by changing the length of the reed, either by changing the reed to a different length or by pressing a reed stop against the reed. Some examples include duck calls and other calls that employ a moving slide that have one end inside the instrument to abut the reed, and which can be moved slidably back and forth to change the tone of the call. These are shown generally in U.S. Pat. No. 825,610, U.S. Pat. No. 1,484,148, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,544,370.
A deer call, sometimes called a "grunt" for the deer sounds it is designed to imitate, is described in Leady U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,451. This call employs a reed situated in a mouthpiece, and the pitch or tone is varied by sliding a tuning member along a slot. A rod or finger on the tuning member contacts the reed, so that adjustment of the tuning member changes the effective vibrating length of the reed. Other deer grunts and similar calls have been proposed wherein a portion of the mouthpiece housing above the reed is soft rubber, and the hunter or naturalist can change the pitch by pressing his or her fingers against this to contact the reed.
In either case, there is considerable guesswork involved in changing the tone of the call to a proper setting. Ideally, the user should be able to transmit a sound with personality, tone variety, and precisions under a variety of field conditions, and should be able to produce the desired game sounds consistently. The tone selection should be independent of the user's finger size, whether or not he or she is wearing gloves, and without having to worry about how hard to push against the reed. However, in the case of the prior deer grunt described above, in which the user pushed down through the rubber housing of the mouthpiece, it is often difficult to find the correct tone. Pushing too hard can produce either no sound or an undesirable squawk. This can result in frightening the animals or birds away, rather than attracting them. Also, the precise locations that the user should press are often difficult to determine. Moreover, deer grunts of this type require two-hand operation, that is, one hand to manipulate the reed and the other to cup the end of the sound tube to modulate the sound. This makes it difficult for the hunter or naturalist who has only one hand available, for any of a variety of reasons.